Forgiving Like Jesus on the Cross
Month 7: He Is Risen! — Why We Believe · Loving Others
Today's Scripture
Read together: Luke 23:33–34
33 When they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals, one on His right and the other on His left. 34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His garments by casting lots.
Memory Verse
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,”— 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Amos 1–4
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 186 of 365 — God calls His people to true justice and a soft heart.)The Heart of It
Soldiers were nailing Jesus to the cross. Of all the things He could have said, listen to the first words out of His mouth: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." The people who were hurting Him most received His prayer of mercy. He wasn't pretending it didn't hurt. And He wasn't saying what they did was okay. He was choosing love over revenge in the very moment He had every right to call down judgment. This is the heart of God on full display. He shows kindness toward people who don't deserve it. That is exactly the kindness He shows to us.
Now here is where it touches our table. Jesus said, "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" (). And He said, "If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you" (). Forgiven people forgive. When we have truly seen that Jesus prayed "Father, forgive them" for us, it loosens our grip on the small offenses we hold against each other. The snatched toy. The unkind word. The brother who broke our thing. Forgiving doesn't mean we pretend nothing happened. It means we let go of the debt and refuse to keep a record. We can only love others like this because we have first been loved like this.
Around the Table
Even while He was being hurt, Jesus said, "Father, forgive them." He wants us to forgive people who are unkind to us too.
Let's do it: Think of someone who was mean to you. Pray together, "Jesus, help me forgive them like You forgive me."
Jesus forgave the very people hurting Him. Forgiving doesn't mean pretending it didn't hurt. It means letting go of getting even.
Let's talk: Is there someone you need to forgive this week? What makes it hard?
Jesus forgave from the cross. Then He taught that forgiven people forgive. When we hold a grudge, we forget how much we have been forgiven.
Let's go deeper: What's the difference between forgiving someone and saying what they did was okay?
💬 Conversation Starter
What's harder, saying "I'm sorry" or saying "I forgive you"? Why? Jesus did the hardest kind of forgiving, and He did it for us.
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Jesus prayed for the very men who were killing Him. That deeply forgiving heart is unlike anything else in ancient literature. And it changed the people who followed Him. This kind of love is hard to explain unless Jesus was exactly who He claimed to be: God in the flesh, full of grace.
For Dad · Go Deeper
A home runs on forgiveness, or it runs aground. With five kids, offenses pile up by the hour. And the deepest lesson your children will learn about grace will not come from a lecture. It will come from watching how you handle being wronged, including being wronged by them. Do they see a father who keeps a ledger? Or one who, like his Lord, lets go of the debt? Be quick to say "I forgive you." And just as importantly, be quick to say "I was wrong; forgive me." Jesus' prayer from the cross is the pattern: mercy that doesn't wait to be deserved. The father who forgives freely is preaching the gospel without a single sermon.
Draws on: Paul Tripp, Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that Jesus prayed, 'Forgive them.' He prayed it for us, even from the cross. Help us forgive each other quickly. Help us let go, the way You have forgiven us. In Jesus' name, amen."
Because Jesus forgave me from the cross, I can let go of what others owe me too.